


Under the Spotlight: One Shots & Side Stories

by RTNightmare



Series: Under the Spotlight [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Ass-Kicking, Big Brother Sans, Detailed events briefly discussed in UtS, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Gen, Happy Ending, Humor, LITERALLY, Minor Angst, Multi, Oneshot Series, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV shift, Part of UtS Series, Pre-UtS, Protective Sans, RTNightmare doesn't do sad endings, Racism, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader can be black, Reader does not have defined appearance, Sans Being An Asshole, Sans Being An Asshole for good reason, Sans Needs A Hug, Sans is a boss, Sans is a sexy dork, Sans' POV, Sass for days, Short Stories, Silly, Smut, Smut will be marked, Some Canon to Under the Spotlight, Some Non-Canon to Under the Spotlight, Sometimes UtS from a different POV, Stereotypical crap, Warnings in End Notes, ass-kicking (socially), canon and non-canon, canon to Under the Spotlight, cursing, humans being assholes, lots of sass and lolz, non-canon to Under the Spotlight, reader is an adult, requests welcome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-04-06 23:08:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14067579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RTNightmare/pseuds/RTNightmare
Summary: Bypopular demand, I have started this one-shot series that is paired with theUnder the Spotlight Main Story. The chapters will be anything from small one-shots to 1-3 chapter parts that go hand in hand with the story that takes place in Under the Spotlight (UtS). These stories either develop events only briefly discussed in UtS or retell events from another character's perspective (probably Sans).Ideas from readers are welcomed, but I cannot guarantee they will be used. Credit will be given if I do.Update schedule is Random!





	1. delayed reaction

# one-shot: delayed reaction

 

Sans _couldn’t_ complain too much. His career had launched and **skyrocketed** into success, people actually **enjoyed** being in his presence, he did **immensely** well in all his ventures, and all-in-all, things were going _great_.

 

The only problem was that he _felt_ empty. But having found his Soul Mate, he expected as much. Well, ‘found’ wasn’t really the right word, was it? He had ‘met’ his Soul Mate; but then, in a moment of stupidity caused by anxiety, he had left her without even getting her name.

 

At first, Sans had berated himself. After all, he had asked her name and hadn’t waited for a response. All he knew was that she had ____ eyes and _____ hair, was about ____ tall and had a ____-shaped face and ____-colored skin.

 

Oh, and she was a mage. Yeah, a mage who used white magic. Go figure, there was white magic. And the only known white magic user was his Soul Mate. At least, he **hoped** she was only one.

 

It should have been _easy_ to find her. Well, except it wasn’t. Over two years since their first encounter and he still hadn’t found her. Not only that, but with his new-found fame, he had had to be far more careful **not** to arouse suspicion. Only Nate knew anything, and he had asked his human best friend to try to find her. But the girl didn’t want to be found; or she was unwilling to use her magic and thus, it was impossible to find her.

 

Standing backstage as Mettaton finished up his concert so that Sans could start his comedy routine, the skeleton stewed in his thoughts. From the cheers of the audience, he could tell that the entire theatre was completely packed. True enough, the tickets had been sold out for the next four months.

 

The skeletal entrepreneur sighed. He felt restless, frustrated, and worried. Sitting on a stool just out of sight of the audience, he let his leg bounce as his mind tried to focus on going over his routine instead of the woman who he’d been trying to find the last year.

 

Granted, he normally didn’t have to think so hard about what he was going to say when he went on-stage. But with desperation consuming him, it was hard to keep calm.

 

“You doin’ okay, boss man?” Ugh, of course Nate would approach him. The man had very keen eyes, though as they bore into Sans’ distressed form, the skeleton couldn’t help but be frustrated by his best friend’s ability to see through him. Granted, Sans was no doubt making it _easy_ to see how panicked he was.

 

“mhmm.” Sans hummed, not looking up at the brawny human he’d met in college. It was a lie, of course. But Sans could try to play it off as nerves for the show.

 

“Dude, what’s eating you?” Yeah, Nate was way too observant. But that’s what made him so reliable. And it was better to just be truthful in his presence. Sans owed him his life, after all.

 

“i’m just beating myself up again for not taking that girl with me…”

 

“You talking about your Soul Mate?” Nate inquired. Sans nodded. The man sighed. “Dude, calm down. You’ll find her again eventually. And like I said, she might come to one of your shows. It **would** make sense.”

 

Sans leaned back, propping his head against the wall. “yeah, i guess so. i’ll keep my eye sockets open.” He turned to his second in command who grinned empathically.

 

“Yeah, I will, too. Err, but I’ll use my eyeballs.” Sans snorted. The man gave him a thumb-up. “Heh, I gotcha covered. Just give me a sign.” He winked, his grin showing just a hint of cheekiness.

 

Sans smiled. “thanks. i will.”

 

 

 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Mettaton purred into the microphone. “It is _that_ time! May I present to you the founder and CEO of Gaster Industries…the comedian with the greatest of punchlines, Sans Aster!”

 

Sans shook his head. As per usual, Mettaton was _too_ much. Turning to Nate, he saluted him. “wish me luck.”

 

“Knock ‘em _dead_!” Nate retorted, much to his boss’s amusement.

 

“thanks.” The skeleton replied dryly as he walked on stage. Stepping into the light, he felt a buzz from the audience that made him falter a moment. However, he shook it off and stepped over to the flamboyant robot who was holding out the microphone for him.

 

“thank you.” Sans said, taking the device. Mettaton walked off the stage, sexy swag in his wake. Sans chuckled. “i swear even his walking seems to scream, _take me now_.” The audience chuckled.

 

“so, i see a lot of people here tonight. it almost feels like you enjoy it when someone talks your ear off about silly or nonsensical things. hell, look at me. i got a bro who does the same thing. so, now you know why i’m called sans. _sans any ears_ , that is.” The crowd grew livelier.

 

And so, the routine began, and Sans got more and more into the jokes. As a master of reading the audience, he ended up changing a couple of the jokes. He smoothly transitioned from one story to another, kept control of the mood with ease, and exaggerated his speech or the movements of his body when necessary, even going so far as to use silly voices here and there.

 

It was during the last ten minutes of the hour-long routine that the buzz he felt in the beginning sharpened and he faltered, his eye-lights sweeping back and forth until they landed on someone. Even in the dark, with the lights above blinding against him, he could find her.

 

It was her. She **had** come.

 

However, he couldn’t stop and so he managed to make his falter into a joke and flawlessly kept the audience from thinking the wiser. When his routine was done, he stood.

 

“you have been a lovely crowd tonight. it’s always so sad when i have to leave. make sure to pick any ears off the floor on your way out. i’d really rather not be billed for that. thank you for your support. i hope you have a wonderful evening. _till next time._ ” He winked and vanished in a flash of blue and yellow light.

 

“Something happened.” Nate stated when his boss appeared beside him backstage.

 

He frantically explained, “she’s _here_. i sensed her. and saw her. i gotta track her down before she leaves.”

 

Nate put his hands up to placate him. “Dude, that’s probably not going to work.”

 

“ **then help me!** ” He growled as he tore off. Stepping outside, he was almost immediately bombarded with fans. Yelping, he made a shortcut just in time that led him to the roof. From there, he looked this way and that as the crowd began to filter out.

 

“where are you?” He muttered. The minutes passed, and the final stragglers emerged, but he couldn’t find her. “she couldn’t have already…” From the back, she probably looked like anyone else. With the crowds so large, the Souls merged together so it ended up confusing his Sight. He should have paid more attention to her friends. “damnit. i was so close.”

 

* * *

 

 

“____, he totally looked at you.” Dina laughed. Coming in close, she whispered. “Probably knows of your status.”

 

I shrugged. “Maybe.” After all, he _might_ have remembered me from that night.

 

“Well, _happy_ _belated_ _birthday_. I’m sorry it took _so_ long.” She hugged me.

 

I laughed. “Thank you!”

 

I gasped and turned back towards the theatre as a wave of anguish and rage permeated the air. From where I stood, I could just barely make out a person on the roof, their blue and yellow aura giving them away.

 

It felt like he was calling out to me. So, I sent out a happy thank you in reply.

 

“_____, you coming?” Dina called.

 

I turned back. “Yeah, sorry. I’m coming.” Sorry, Sans. I gotta go, or else our secret will be found out.

 

* * *

 

Sans gasped as he felt her response. “no, come back.” He let his magic into the air again. But he received no response other than the remnants of an apology. She was gone.

 

“damnit, she doesn’t know that she’s my…” He choked on a sob. He quietly pleaded, “please come back. come back to me.”

 

“Sans.” Nate said from behind him. “It’s getting late.”

 

Sans turned, the expression on his face leaving the man before him speechless. “You need the day off tomorrow?”

 

Sans closed his eyes and slumped to the ground. “yeah, i think so.” Damn, his voice had cracked.

 

“Okay, I’ll let the others know you aren’t doing well.” Nate rested his hand on the skeleton’s shoulder. “We went out partying and you overdid it.” Sans nodded. Nate only lied when it was to protect someone else. Sans valued him for that.

 

Sickness wasn’t much of a thing for monsters, so claiming that Sans had a hangover was the only thing that worked. As the boss, he wouldn’t get into trouble for something like that since he had more than one person who could cover for him. While Sans had been sober for over a year and a half, only Nate was truly aware of it.

 

Grillby might have known, but if he did, he didn’t say anything about it when Sans came in for a meal. Sans had fabricated the idea that ketchup affected him like alcohol, so it was easy to act like he was drunk whether or not he had asked Grillby to mix the ketchup with alcohol or not.

 

Sans sniffed. “thanks.” Nate nodded and walked back inside.

 

Turning back in the direction his Soul Mate had gone, Sans let out a small whine before gritting his teeth and staring off, determination flooding through him. “i will find you one day. i just need you to make it a _little_ easier for me, love.”

 

 

 

 

“She said you were fantastic.” One of his associates who worked with Doctor Alphys, Doctor Lisa ____, told him a few days later when she came to drop off some papers on his desk. “I wish I could have gone. But I have a job to do here that often leads me to staying late. I’m glad ____ went, though. Even if it was a late birthday present. It was clearly worth the wait.”

 

Sans smiled. “tell her i said thank you.”

 

“Oh, I will.” She turned to leave. “Have a good day, Sans.”

 

Sans chuckled sadly when the door closed. “i’ll try.”

 

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the choker. Rubbing his phalanges against the fake gem hanging from the collar, he felt a little closer to his other half.

 

* * *

 

“You told him I went?” I asked, blushing. My mom had called to tell me about her conversation with Sans.

 

“Yes, he told me to thank you.” My mother replied brightly.

 

“Did you tell him anything else about me?” I inquired.

 

“Hmm, no, ____, sweetie. I try to keep work and home life separate. But he was looking a little down, so I thought it would be nice to tell him you enjoyed his show.”

 

I sighed softly. “Okay, thank you.”

 

“I definitely think you should come in to work with me soon.” She mused.

 

If I did, they would learn about my magic and then the truth would get out. No thanks. I’d rather not get Sans or myself in trouble.

 

“That’s okay, mom. I…I’m too busy to do that.” Yeah, working for the Gier Company was time consuming. Not to mention awful. But others didn’t need to know that. I **need** to my job to pay bills.

 

“Suit yourself.” My mother sniffed. “I need to go, ____, sweetie. Have a good evening.”

 

“I will. Thank you, Mom.”

 

“You’re welcome, dear. Bye.”

  
  
“Bye.”


	2. we meet again (sans)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans' point of view of his ~~first~~ second time meeting the Reader, his thoughts on display.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short one-shot. Also, his thoughts aren't lower case because I like to think that him being a secretive guy with a laidback persona, the lower case is a put upon for said laidback persona. So his thoughts are his true emotions and so I made them regular upper/lower casing to demonstrate that.
> 
> This is the second one-shot and the only other one I have currently written. Enjoy!

# two: we meet again (sans)

 

Sans was trying really hard **not** to lose his mind. He had found her. His Soul Mate. She was **so** close this whole time. She was Doctor Lisa ____’s daughter.

 

Damn it, he should have asked Lisa to bring her daughter to meet him. How _stupid_ was he? She literally commented that her daughter had been to one of his comedy performance…the same performance that he had felt his Soul Mate’s presence at.

 

“…and I h-hope that she is who you’re l-looking for, Sans.” _Oh, that’s right._ Alphys was talking to him. _Heh, oops._ He nodded absently.

 

“Have you been listening t-to me?!” The dinosaur monster demanded.

 

“nope.” He replied guiltily. “i’ve been searching for this girl for **five** **years**. do you _really_ think i’m in my right mind right now, alph?”

 

She sighed. “I-I supposed not.” She turned towards the entrance as movement caught their attention. “O-oh! They’re here.” She turned to him. “Is that h-her?”

 

He grinned brightly, trying to keep himself from bolting over and pulling the woman he’d spent what felt like forever trying to find into his embrace. “yep.” _Well, his voice certainly conveyed his intent._ Alphys smiled knowingly.

 

Lisa and her daughter walked through the doors and approached the awaiting monsters. The girl, ____, looked to be in as much of a mess as he felt.

 

“G-greetings,” Doctor Alphys chirped as Lisa and ____ stopped in front of them. “You must be Lisa’s daughter. _____, was it?”

 

_____ nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’m ______. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Alphys.” As she turned to Sans, her face flushed, and fell forward into a clumsy and silly bow. “And it’s a pleasure to see you again, Doc–”

 

“just sans. and the pleasure is all mine.” He interrupted, laughing in relief. She fidgeted, reddening further.

 

_Oh geez, calm her down. Say something relatable._ “despite my success over the past five years, i don’t do formalities. i’m just not that kinda guy.”

 

She gave a nervous laugh. “I understand.”

 

_She was so sweet. Gotta be honest with her._ “i’ve actually been trying to track you down. after our first meeting, i realized i didn’t get your name. that was my bad. i was sure that you would turn up in alphys’ soul program, and in a way, i guess you have.” _There we go. Not too weird. She knows that he is her Soul Mate. Lisa should have told her._

 

“W-wait! You have **seen** her use magic? Sans, why didn’t you say anything?” Alphys cried. Sans thought back and remembered telling the two doctors about ____’s magic. _Better pretend I didn’t and just explain the dilemma._

 

“weeeeellll, mostly because i might have gotten into trouble. but at this point, i’m confident that if that incident was brought into the light, ms. ______ and i would both come out unscathed. after all, during that incident, i fought in defense.”

 

“Now there’s a story I wanna hear. C’mon, boss man. Spill!” _Ugh! No! Not now!_

 

Coming from the hall to the left of Sans was a large man with gray hair and eyes, a brilliant white smile, and far too much energy radiating from him. “Hey now, who is this pretty lady?”

 

“ **don’t you dare.** ” _You are not touching my future mate._

 

“Whoa, man! Chill! I didn’t know!” His hands were up in the universal sign of mercy. “This wouldn’t happen to be who that choker you are constantly messing with belongs to, would it?”

 

_____ gasped and turned to look at Sans in dismay. For his part, Sans flushed a bright blue and had the decency to look ashamed before turning to glare at his top administrator.

 

“damnit, nate!” He hissed. “why would you say that now?”

 

“Hey, I say what I’m thinking. You know that!” _Damnit, Nate. Stop smiling, asshole!_

 

“ffffffffffffffffffffffuuh…” _Why do you have to ruin this for me? I thought you were my friend!_

 

“So, I didn’t **lose** that necklace. You took it?” She accused with crossed arm. All hints of her embarrassment were gone. _For the moment, at least._

 

“sorry. it was stupid, and selfish, and i will give it back. i only took it out of desperation.” _Well, it was true._

 

“Heh, heh, heh! Oh yeah, he has!” Nate guffawed. “Every time he gets super stressed, he brings it out and messes with it to calm himself down. It works, though, so at least taking it wasn’t all bad.” Fuck off, Nate!

 

Turning to the _ass in the room_ , Sans bared his fangs. “nate, get out. go do something productive. just leave us alone.”

 

Nate, looking very pleased with himself, chuckled and stretched as he made his way to the hall past Alphys. “No problem! I’ve done what I needed to do here. Later, boss man, Alph, Doc Lisa, _madam_! Don’t be too hard on the Skelepun! He means w–AHHHHHH! OKAY! I’M GOING!”

 

Completely done with his admin’s antics, Sans threw a bone at the man that flew through his spikey hair into the hall entryway, the projectile disappearing upon impact.

 

_Get out of here before I destroy you for ruining my love life, damned asshole!_

 

With Nate’s fast retreat, Sans turned back to me. “i’m so sorry. please forgive me.”

 

The young woman snorted. “That was hilarious.” She snorted again, dissolving into small giggles. “Now I see why so many people love working here.”

 

“Yes, it’s t-true.” His Jurassic coworker agreed. “And trust me, if Sans wanted to hit Mister Fuller, he would have. Those two have a personal history and love picking on each other.” _True._

 

“And **Mister Fuller** does what?” I prompted.

 

Sans straightened up. “he’s one of my administrators. he oversees engineering and mechanics. despite being only twenty-eight, he’s one of the best in his field. he’s also the best bodyguard you will ever meet. he has a sharp eye and has kept all employees safe from harm.” Sans shrugged.

 

“when i was still new to being famous, i had been targeted for assassination a few times. because i couldn’t focus on reading the intent of others with what i was doing, nate was charged with watching my back. and he was successful every time. after fourteen failed assassinations, people realized that it wasn’t going to work. eventually, i could watch my own back because i had learned the ropes and was able to multitask, and so nate was charged with watching over my employees. between him and my other admins, gaster industries is in good hands.”

 

____’s mouth twitched into an uneasy grin, clearly worried for Sans’ sake. “Wow, that is so cool.” He grinned back, the excitement leaking through.

 

“I don’t mean to interrupt, b-but we have a schedule to keep.” Alphys reminded.

 

Oh, yeah, that. “oh shoot, you’re right. c’mon, let’s head to the lab. we will be at lab b, right?” He led the way down the hall Nate went down. The four reached an elevator and Sans pressed the down arrow. _This is going to be so fun and exciting!_

 

“Yes! I-I believe that is the best course of action given what you told me, Sans.” Alphys was carrying a checklist that _____ was reading from over her shoulder. _That is so adorable._

 

“i agree. let’s go.” The elevator opened and the four of them entered.


	3. WTF?! x2!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two versions just for you! Enjoy!
> 
> This takes place in an alternate reality.

# sixteen

 

I woke up alone the next day. However, exiting the room, I immediately found my new bond mate sitting on the balcony wearing his usual hoodie, pajama pants with bone patterns, and a towel around his shoulders.

 

I put on a bathrobe and prepared to join him when I sensed something odd. From my angle, I couldn’t see anything. His hood was up, and I couldn’t see any of the pearly white bones I had grown to love. However, he had an ethereal essence coming off him that was strange.

 

Then he shifted, a movement I knew meant he recognized my presence, and stood. As he turned around, I gasped. “What **happened** to you?”

 

“beats me. but i find this situation to be very _humanus_.” He grinned, a smile that looked like the Sans I knew I loved, but clearly wasn’t entirely. He walked over to me and held me close, nuzzling into me. I squeaked as the ebony strands of hair now topping his head tickled my neck and ears.

 

“so, how do i look? still _sexy_?” His raven-hued brow wiggling comically.

 

I looked him over. A pale, but mildly rosy, complexion was over his bones, hair black as night and soft as a newborn had curled in loose waves over his scalp, brushing against his still-round cheeks, down his neck, and over large, bright, intelligent azure eyes. Besides that, he was clean-shaven with no signs of potential facial hair. Ears poked out past the raven locks adorably, and I had to suppress a squeal.

 

Under his white tee, I could see firm muscles that were only visible when he wore a shirt. As I continued to analyze every part of the person I had bonded to, I noticed everything that made him Sans. His transformation changed nothing. He wasn’t quite human; the skin had wrapped around his original form and so he barely passed as human since, as a skeleton, his bones didn’t imitate a human skeleton.  

 

“Yeah…” I answered finally. “Gorgeous…” I added unconsciously.

 

He blushed lightly, smiling gratefully. “aww, you’re such a sweetheart.”

 

“How did this happen?” I asked again.

 

“dunno. i woke up like this, needed to pee for the first time ever. that was _fun._ turns out i have organs and blood, too. anyway, i’m thinking it may be the bond that did this.”

 

“So, this is my fault?” I whimpered.

 

“i dunno. might also be the date.” His shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. I gave him a look, but he shrugged it off. “i don’t mind. even if it doesn’t wear off. at least i was the one that changed instead of you. i doubt you would take turning into a skeleton monster well.” I nodded, laughing nervously. “besides, i can still do this.” His eyes flashed, and I felt myself lift into the air as he rose his hand, now engulfed with blue magic.

 

“Whoa! Okay! Awesome! Put me down, please! I’m not in the mood for this!” I dropped, screaming, into his waiting arms. “SANS!”

 

He gave me a kiss. “i love you.” His lips were thin, but soft.

 

“I will break you if you do that again!” I threatened agitatedly.

 

A knock came to the door. “come in!” Sans called.

 

“Is everything all…right?” One of the housekeepers, having heard commotion, came to check on us and gawked at the sight before her. “What…?”

 

“surprise! happy april fools!”

 

* * *

* * *

 

_In an alternate version of this timeline…_

 

I woke up alone the next day. However, exiting the room, I immediately found my new bond mate sitting on the balcony wearing his usual hoodie, pajama pants with bone patterns, and a towel around his shoulders.

 

I tiredly put on a bathrobe and prepared to join him when I felt something odd. Looking down, I gasped and screamed. Sans jolted up and tore inside, only to gasp and gawk, the lollypop he had been working on falling out of his mouth onto the floor.

 

“whoa.” Sans muttered, looking me up and down.

 

“What happened to me?” I shrieked in dismay. “Why do I…why am I…how did this happen?”

 

“um…i dunno, babe. but hey, you’re still gorgeous.” He looked me over, his eye-lights roaming over my new form. I turned towards the closest mirror and began to see what he did.

 

My skin, eyes, and hair were gone, replaced by only bones and magic. In my eye sockets, I had little _____ eye-lights, the same color my eyes used to be, if not more vibrant and glowing. My hair was gone and replaced with a magical ______-colored ectoplasmic equivalent that felt almost identical to how my hair used to. Opening the bathrobe, I took note of how similar my bones were to Sans. The shape of my skull was even rounder, like whoever remolded my form decided to use Sans as a reference. My body was definitely more feminine, my ribcage and shoulders narrower and hips wider.

 

“Is this reversible?” I wondered in a panic.

 

“probably. and if it’s not, i’ll help you in any way i can.” He pulled me against him, pressing my exposed ribs against his. “and i’ll teach you how to manifest your lady parts so that we can still have fun.”

 

I gawked and shoved away, igniting my aura. “You…pervert! Now is **NOT** the time!”

 

He yelped. “i’m sorry!” He flailed and backed up. “shit! not the time! you’re right! i’m so sorry! you just look really beautiful regardless and i…was being insensitive.”

 

“How would you like it if you suddenly turned human?”

 

“i dunno. i’d probably be fine. but i’m different, and i’m sorry i said all that. i’m so sorry!”

 

I slumped to the ground, sobbing as my aura extinguished. Sans, for his part, slowly crept forward. When he pulled me gently into his lap, he sighed and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

 

“we’ll figure this out, babe. it might only be a twenty-four-hour thing.”

 

I sniffed. “What?”

 

“it’s april first.”

 

“Damnit!”

 

“uh, happy april fools, beautiful.” He kissed my cheek.

 

* * *

* * *

 

_After twenty-four hours, everything returned to normal…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this here, too. For reasons! :)
> 
> Two versions, just for you!


	4. comradery between species

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! 
> 
> Once again, there's a new [Casting Call](https://www.castingcall.club/projects/under-the-spotlight-the-voices-of-the-characters) Project for this fic and for [The Judgelante](https://www.castingcall.club/projects/undertale-au-the-judgelante-audiobook)! Please check them out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this a few weeks ago and finally edited it today! Enjoy!

# four: comradery between species

 

Hue Warner was **no** fool. He knew intelligence, creativity, and talent when he saw it. The skeleton monster before him displayed it in waves. Fresh out of college, having just verified his PhD in mechanics and quantum physics and having taken extra courses on various other sciences and unrelated studies, the older gentleman was impressed.

 

Sans Aster was one of the most liked monsters in the underground. With the race of intelligent creatures having just risen from the depth of Mount Ebott, Hue had jumped at the chance to get to know them. As a man who looked past the color of skin or the desires of mankind, he saw the newcomers as no different than his own species.

 

As one of the sponsors to monsterkind’s merge into society, he wanted to be the first to get to know these fascinating new people.

 

When Grillby’s had reopened five blocks away from the Warner Building located in the town of Ebott, he made it a priority to visit. It was there that he asked around for monsters who had specialties in technology. The two names that popped up the most were Doctor Alphys, the former royal scientist, and Sans Aster, the Judge of Monsters.

 

It was interesting to listen to the monsters talk about these two. Sans had apparently been the Judge for years and only the king had known. Each conversation held awe for the monster. Hue himself felt the awe and was delighted and eager to meet him in person.

 

“Doctor Alphys is a shy one, though. She stutters a lot."

 

“I heard she has gotten better at forming sentences since starting her relationship with Captain Undyne.”

 

“True, the captain is _all_ confidence. Who knew those two would make such a perfect match.”

 

The monsters had no issue with race, gender, or personal beliefs like humans did. It was a breath of fresh air to the business man. He had personally had to break up a fight between employees that involved religious differences. He had no issue with people taking time off for their religion as long as they reported it in advance. Hue rarely became angry, a trait he was proud of. A little stuttering and lack of confidence didn’t mean the person was less brilliant.

 

“I heard Sans is also trying to get his PhD’s recognized.”

 

“And he’s adding a few other courses in just in case.” That was how Hue found out about how intelligent Sans was.

 

“Good thing we had gold. Otherwise, we’d be in so much trouble. College is expensive and I’d rather not look around for work just yet. I just want to enjoy the surface for now.”

 

True enough. The stock market hadn’t crashed yet. But reports were coming out that it might soon. And when it did, monsters might be in trouble if they hadn’t converted their currency over yet.

 

“What did you want Sans and Alphys for specifically?” A bird asked.

 

“I wanted to hire a few monster employees for my technology business, The Warner Company. I’m its CEO and Founder, Hue Warner.” He pulled out a few of his business cards and handed them out to a few of the monsters. “I’m looking for monster specializing in technology, but I will hire monsters for other things as well.”

 

“You aren’t going to use us if you hire us, are you?” One of the dogs asked suspiciously.

 

Hue felt his face harden. He had heard reports that humans had tried to harm monsters. While none had been fatally wounded **yet** , some were in the hospital. That **had** enraged him.

 

“I would **never**. I have heard of the mistreatment of monsters by humans. And for that, I am terribly sorry. It…I am…” He paused to breathe, taking a moment to regulate his breath so his anger couldn’t take over. “Not all humans are cruel. However, anger is a very loud and _powerful_ emotion. So, while it seems like most humans are cruel in the moment, not all of us are. I want to learn **more** about you. And I know that monsterkind has a lot to share. I will treat you like I treat my fellow humans.”

 

“well, that’s a relief.”

 

Hue didn’t want to admit he was startled to see a skeleton monster had just appeared beside him. Sporting a blue hoodie, white tee shirt, faded jeans, and blue and white sneakers, the skeleton grinned cheekily.

 

“You startled me.” It was always better to be honest. “I’m surprised no one else was startled. But then, you probably do that kind of thing so much that these people have come to expect it by now.”

 

The lights in the skeleton’s eyes brightened for a moment as he stared intently at the man. “people?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“you referred to everyone here,” he gestured to the monsters in the bar, “as _people_. most humans call us things or some other… _disrespectful_ equivalent.”

 

Once again, the anger flared up. Hue breathed in and out, trying to focus on the idea that monsters were new, and many humans weren’t ready for them. When he had his control back, he muttered, “I’m _so_ sorry. I can understand if you don’t trust me. I have done **nothing** to earn it and since other humans have acted so poorly to you, I don’t blame you.”

 

“heh. true, humans have been quite…uh, terrible to us. but i suppose being a **soul** **seer** comes with its perks.”

 

“Come again? What is a Soul Seer?”

 

The monster grinned. “i can see your soul, and by extension, i know your nature. so i can tell if you are being honest you not.”

 

Well, that was unexpected. And intriguing, “And…what is the verdict?”

 

“you’re alright.” He winked. “you haven’t lied, and your anger was directed at your own species. additionally, you are one of the sponsors for monsterkind, aren’t you, mister warner?”

 

Hue’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”

 

“your posters, ads, the news. a few companies have done the same, but most of them have done so because they are greedy for what **we** have accomplished and want to get their hands on it by _playing_ _nice_. i’ve only seen two others who are helping us for genuinely **good** reasons.”

 

“I understand. I’m glad I’m not the only one. You are just like humans to me. Well, no…that’s not right. You’re how I feel humans should be. But the point is, to me your just _another_ group of people with a _different_ upbringing. While most people fear anything or anyone who is new, or _different_ , I welcome it as an opportunity to learn, make new friends, and share experiences.”

 

“you sound a little like a child, or an inspirational poster.” The skeleton chuckled.

 

“I guess so. What is your name?”

 

“sans.”

 

“You’re Sans?” The other patrons hadn’t mentioned what kind of monster either of them were.

 

“oh? you heard of me?”

 

Hue gestured around. “I came here asking for monsters who had knowledge about technology. They mentioned you and…I believe it was Doctor Alphys?”

 

“oh, alph. yeah, she and i worked together for a while. i stopped doing science for a while, but since i had the skills, i thought i might as well get recognized for it. my graduation is in two weeks.”

 

That was fast. According to the other monsters, he was being recognized for more than just what he already knew. That meant he was able to absorb knowledge with immense ease, which was incredible!

 

“I would love to talk with you two more.” This was so exciting. “I wanted to employ both of you. That is…it is your choice.”

 

“ehh, i don’t know.” He had picked up a fry an was smothering it in ketchup. “i’d rather be the one on top. considering how most humans treat us, if i’m the one in control, at least then i’ll be respected.” He opened his mouth and dropped it in, eliciting giggles from a few of the patrons behind him. Hue wasn’t sure what just happened but didn’t care enough to ask.

 

“Oh, so you wish to start a company of your own?” Sans shrugged. “I can help you.”

 

“how sho?” Sans asked, mouth occupied by what had to be a _handful_ of fries.

 

“I could be a business partner or give you a loan to get started. I could also provide equipment and tools in exchange for products you make. Like a trade of sorts.”

 

Sans stared at the man, eyes scrutinizing him as he appeared to ponder the suggestion. Finally, the skeleton shrugged. “sure, all of the above. i’m thinking it will be a tech-based company. a lot of humans want a version of the core and i recently managed to replicate it as a school project. heh, granted i made sure it wasn’t usable afterword. no one is getting that kind of tech for free.” His expression grew sinister for a moment.

 

And then he chuckled. “how about i give you a call or text you later?” He held up one of the business cards Hue had passed out earlier.

 

“Of course. Either is fine.” Sans chuckled again and a few moments later, a chime came from Hue’s pocket.

 

Retrieving the phone, Hue saw he had a new text, ‘knock knock.’

 

“Oh… _what_?” He shook his head and replied, ‘Who’s there?’

 

‘bees nest.’

 

‘Bees nest who?’

 

‘it’s a pleasure doing bees nest with you. ;p’

 

Hue looked up at a smirking skeleton. “it technically is _later_.”

 

Hue snorted, guffawing as he reached out and shook his new business partner’s hand. Things were looking up for monsterkind, that was for sure.


	5. five: with time comes change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **PLEASE READ BEGINNING NOTES BEFORE READING THIS ONE-SHOT! THANK YOU!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So the main fic, UtS is on a VERY MINOR hiatus as I write out the current arc. The reason for this because it requires a lot of math and stuff for scoring, and I'm not going to half-ass it by just going with the flow since it might turn out poorly. I'm also lacking a bit of motivation for this mini-arc. It's kind of frustrating. But I will get through it!
> 
> Th mini arc is something I've been planning since the end of last year, so I want to do a good job.
> 
> In the meantime, I will be writing and editing these one-shots to keep you at least a little occupied. I will post a few more of the main series (about 2 chapters) since this mini-arc doesn't start until 27 I think???? But I want to make sure I have those chapters all done, too. 
> 
> So in the meantime, I have this one-shot and then another one written but not edited. It's coming soon. I'm just glad that I have these one-shots for you. So enjoy!

# five: with time comes change

 

Sans sighed. Loudly and albeit a _bit_ obnoxiously. About two years ago, he and the rest of monsterkind had left the mountain. Now, he, Alphys, and a group of about three hundred humans and monsters were working together at his new company, Gaster Industries.

 

What had started out as a technology business that mostly dealt with motors and similar hardware turned into a multifaceted organization that had three departments.

 

Mettaton was in charge of the newest addition, after merging with Sans because of the latter’s far greater success. However, the agreement was that they stay out of each other’s way. Mettaton was in charge of media (except comedy because that just wasn’t the robot’s thing – and he begrudgingly admitted it) and Sans was in charge of technology and supervising as a whole.

 

Sans didn’t need to supervise Mettaton when Kara, the newest _not-an-admin-but-still-totally-an-admin_ admin was watching him. She was an Integrity Soul and Sans had learned just how trustworthy she was firsthand. Like the other admins, she was a wonderful person. To think that four humans would become admins beside the three monster admins. It was…well, unthinkable even a year ago. But now…

 

Sans smiled, and then shook his head.

 

Today, he wasn’t focusing on… **any** of that. Today, he wanted to spend his time off. And today, the public wouldn’t let him.

 

Over the last two years, he had gained an interesting reputation. At first, most humans were appalled to see Sans as the first monster entrepreneur. He easily learned how to protect himself with his best friend (a human, _wow–look at that_!), Nate Fuller watching out for him in the meantime. And humans were obvious about when they were about to attack thanks to their Intent.

 

He remembered when he had been ganged up on and had rendered the group unconscious. The police had come and tried to arrest him only to learn he had recorded the entire thing on his phone. When the police ignored that in favor of their own personal biases, he took it to court, and his opponents lost viciously, with Sans having used his Soul Seer abilities for the first time.

 

He became an ally to the justice system soon after thanks to those abilities. And with that came a sense of protection. After all, you don’t attack someone who is part of the system.

 

Now, he was recognized on the street. He had even gained a fan club. It would have been nice if the people who were a part of it weren’t seventy percent creepers and stalkers. That’s when the media learned about his shortcuts. It was hard to stay in the shadows now that the public knew so much.

 

 

Four years passed, and Sans was growing in fame. Ten percent of people still hated his guts. The rest either wanted to bone him, wanted ‘sempai to notice them’ or _something like that_ , or wanted favors in exchange for…Sans didn’t want to think about **that**. But it was weird, and he wasn’t **interested**.

 

“Sans Aster!” Joel Mark, a billionaire and CEO of a fashion company greeted him. By this time, Sans had already reached over a quadrillion. The only other person close to him was a man named James Holmes, a trillionaire and owner of the Holmes Media and Production Agency, a movie-making and distributing business.

 

The same James Holmes was sat beside Mark, staring at Sans with a huge grin on his face. Sans was trying very hard not to grimace.

 

“Welcome back to the Billions Club.” _Ah, yes._ The Billions Club was for the rich (and ninety percent snobbish) men and women who had to have a minimum or one billion to be a part of it. Joel had over ten billion and had been a part of it for over ten years.

 

Sans had only been a part of it for six months and he had attended meetings three other times. There had been at least fifteen since his first time.

 

“yes, and it’s just sans.” He had to correct all of them so many times.

 

“Yes, yes. My mistake.” That’s not his **only** mistake.

 

“So, how has business been?” Holmes asked. “I heard your upcoming show has sold out. As have four others, at least. You’ve made quite a name for yourself.” That **tone**. He was only bringing up Sans’ achievements because he _wanted_ something. They always butter him up before asking for stuff.

 

“yes. thanks.”

 

“So, I have a proposition for you.” And there it was. Sans tuned him out, closing his eyes. He’d take a nap and blame it on stress.

 

 

Not even five minutes passed. “Hello! Are you still listening?!”

 

Sans sockets snapped open. “sorry. i…i’m really tired.” He yawned, exposing his large teeth (fanged canines present and accounted for) and the abyss behind them to the men. When he was done intimidating them, he noticed a few others had joined the room. “whoops. guess i slept through the recent arrivals. sorry ‘bout that.” He slurred. Better to act like he was tired than offend them. He didn’t need their nagging. However, Sans was quite over everything in this _club_ , so if he needed to…

 

“It…it’s fine. You’re clearly exhausted. What was the last thing you heard?” Holmes asked, clearly angry and concealing it very poorly. His Soul was in a raging frenzy. Sans almost couldn’t bottle up his chuckle.

 

“i don’t remember. i really need a nap. i think i’m gonna head out.” He stood up, popped his joints, and made his way to the door.

 

“Wait! You just got–” Mark interjected.

 

“yeah, this _stuff_ isn’t really my thing. i don’t know why i joined at all. i’m not about flaunting money around.” Granted, that was the tactless way to put it and was sure to aggravate the rest of them, not that Sans **cared**.

 

After a bit of sputtering, “Excuse me?!” Oh, so Mark was the first one to get mad. Sans was sure it would be Holmes or Tracy Lord, currently the biggest name in acting. Overdramatic was the perfect word to describe that…well, he would stick with _lady_ to be nice. She was anything but.

 

A chair was pushed, and Mark stood up just in time for Sans to turn. Mark was five feet ten inches. Sans had just hit the six feet two inches when he stopped growing after his magic reorientation. Mark was a heavy-set man, very wide, with a beer belly. He could intimidate if he wanted to, with the right audience. However, in this case, his sweating and Soul gave him away.

 

He had a murky Soul of Perseverance and Determination, a disgusting combination to look at. Sans already knew he lacked much of the bravery trait. The man had pushed people down to get where he was. Sans didn’t **like** people like that.

 

“I beg your pardon, sir. But that isn’t what this club is about.” Oh! **That’s** why he was getting so worked up. Mark had become the new head of the group after the last head passed away. Mark was _sworn_ _in_ , if you could call it that, and kept it running.

 

**Again**. Not that Sans cared.

 

“that’s what it feels like. i’ll be honest; i don’t come here because i want to. i come here because if i don’t, there could be scheming that isn’t good for people not rich enough to fight back. i swear all most rich people care about is money, rubbing it in the faces of people less fortunate, and squashing others who are either a threat or aren’t ‘good enough’. it’s disgusting what ‘the rich’ will do. you should be ashamed.

 

“i _was_ worried. but at this point, i know it’s not worth the time. i will always reject any business proposals that aren’t in the best interest of my company, me, my valued business partners, and anyone other respectable person, whether they are a consumer or not. and so far, all business proposals i’ve received from members of this **‘billions club’** are for selfish gain and meant to destroy me. it doesn’t take a genius to figure that out either. i’m _not_ a fool, but you _are_ if you think i am. i have already lived far longer than any of you and i will outlive all of you because of the special circumstances i have been cursed and blessed with.

 

“the point is that if you want to a business deal to work with me, you need to be less selfish. i may be a monster, but my species has already proven we are kinder than humanity. additionally, i’ve already proven that i **don’t** need any of you. and i’ve already proven that my business strategies are superior to yours. said strategies require very simple things: intelligence, compassion, kindness, understanding, selflessness, and the answer to what every product being ‘how can i help the world more?’ it is not so hard. but you don’t give a damn about the world since you’re blinded by green and gold, aren’t you? it’s hard to see around a large **gut**.” The venom was unmistakable. But Sans could afford to be callous and cruel if it meant putting these egomaniacs in their place.

 

Sans narrowed his sockets, igniting both eyes in flickering blue and yellow light now that his strength and stats and leveled out. “if you can’t think of anyone but yourself, i want **nothing** to do with you. monster are inherently selfless beings. i find it odd that humane is human with an extra ‘e’ and yet most of you are cruel, sadistic, terrible creatures. the names of our species must have been swapped. perhaps humans took the name to seem better than they are. or…” He held the door opened and looked back, the full vision of disappointment and Judgement on his skull. “maybe you just need to work on that. not all humans are bad, after all. you **are** , though.”

 

None of the sweaty, trembling, fish-faced human scumbags stopped him as he left the Billions Club for good.

 

 

The best part about Sans’ rising fame was that if he played his cards right, he could change how others worked. Sans was dangerous, and he could intimidate others easily. Though, the intimidation worked better now that he was taller. A six-foot skeleton with flaming sockets and immense magical pressure was a lot scarier than a four-foot skeleton with one flaming socket and bottled-up pressure.

 

However, the worst part was that he was now very attractive, and even sexy to a rising number of humans and monsters. He had been asked out on way too many dates. He had also received at least five marriage proposals out of nowhere – he never accepted dates, so the marriage proposals were shocking. Each proposal was accompanied by a guilt trip as soon as he rejected them. The worst one was… _memorable_.

 

“Hello, Sans.” The girl had wavy hair and lots of freckles. She had smiled way too brightly as she greeted him when he arrived at home at the end of the day. He had a habit of walking home, so he could enjoy some fresh air – after living underground for so long, he needed it. That’s when most girls who were planning something approached him.

 

“um, hello…?” He internally cringed as his voice drawled and then picked up in a question at the end.

 

She flushed, grinning shyly. “Can I…ask you a question please?” Maybe that shyness was a put-on. Her Soul was acting really weird.

 

“depends. or rather, you can ask, but the answer might not be what you want.” After all the times he had been asked out or asked something of the romantic variety, he felt he was obligated to let every girl (or on the rare occasions, guy) know exactly what would happen should they ask him _specific_ _questions_.

 

“Well, I was wondering…WOULD YOU MARRY ME?” She thrust the ring box in his face, startling him.

 

“uh…uh…oh stars, not again!” He stumbled a bit, holding onto the gate that led to his house, still closed and locked.

 

“Please! I’ll be the best bride in the world!” Her eyes were wide with intensity bordering on insanity.

 

“um…look, i can–”

 

“You can! Oh, thank you!”

 

“ **N O**!” Sans rarely shouted like that. He also didn’t use his scary voice unless he didn’t have a choice.

 

“What? But you said–” She was tearing up.

 

“you cut me off. i was going to say i can–”

 

“You said it again!” She was tearing up more.

 

“damnit, girl. quiet and let me finish!” He growled. “i can–”

 

“There!”

 

“fuck! stop!” He growled. “no. the answer is no. since you won’t stop being rude. and the reason is because i don’t know you, i’m not interested into knowing you especially after all that, and just **no**!”

 

“But we could be destiny!” She flung herself at him. He teleported away, onto the walkway. The alarms went off and he sighed as he let himself be scanned. When it was done, he walked away.

 

“vacate the area. and don’t come back.”

 

“Saaaaaaaaans! Please!” She wailed.

 

She came back every day for a week. By then, he informed the police, got a restraining order, and had dealt with every kind of guilt trip under the sun. It was a rough week for him.

 

He never told anyone about his Soul Mate. He would not put her in danger. He needed to find her **first**. And he hoped he did that before he went insane. Eight months had never felt so painful.


	6. six: first encounter with the devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, who ordered a one-shot of Sans and Sandy's first meeting? What? No one? I wonder why...;p

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not mean for one shot 6 and the title to be work so well. As in 666 = the devil. Yeah, it just happened. lol!

# six: first encounter with the devil

 

If there was one girl Sans wanted nothing to do with, it was Sandy Gier. The epitome of bratty, a ruthless and selfish bitch who flaunted her superiority in front of everyone beneath her, Sans easily despised her. He would come to know her for about a year before he would see his Soul Mate again. A year was **too** long.

 

The skeleton had caught wind of a plan by his business partner of two years, Ned Gier. The CEO of the hardware company, The Gier Company, planned to have his daughter marry Sans so that he could ensure his company’s success through Gaster Industries. However, not only did Sans already belong to another (his Soul Mate), but Sandy was a vile creature.

 

However, as Nate had already pointed out, until Gaster Industries formed additional alliances with other hardware companies, The Gier Company was their best bet at staying successful. That meant that Sans had to _play nice_ with Sandy until additional ties could be made. Thankfully, he was very motivated to do so and tasked Naomi in helping him find any potential partners just in case.

 

Sans received an invitation from Sandy for lunch a month after the spy embedded in Gier’s company reported the CEO’s plan. The lunch was scheduled on Sans’ off day, three days later. It was to be at Collette Café, a café and bakery that was extremely expensive, and in France. Sans scoffed; by now, a lot of his abilities were out in the open. Sandy was using this to her advantage and being inconsiderate of Sans’ only day to relax. He would put in an additional day off later if Sandy tried this again. And she **would**.

 

By then, Naomi had just gotten another hardware company, Chase Industries, to partner up with Gaster Industries at a fraction of the cost the Giery Company demanded. Their hardware was also so much better quality that Sans agreed to supply them with a few of Gaster Industries products as a gesture of good will. Their CEO and founder, Isaac Chase was a very good man and a good friend of Hue Warner, the original benefactor of Gaster Industries.

 

Between Chase, Warner, and another company called Madison Mechanics, Sans was set if anything with Sandy or her father fell through. However, the skeleton knew that Ned Gier was crafty and malicious, so he would only terminate their contract if he had no other choice. But considering the man’s nature, it would be smarter to keep Gier under his phalange than cut ties. At least, for now.

 

The monster planned to weed out any answers from Sandy. Little did he know how futile that would be…

 

 

Sandy and Ned Gier walked into Gaster Industries at eleven in the morning on the intended day of the lunch date. Sans was waiting in the lobby, sipping ketchup from a thermos and reading something on his phone.

 

Ned and Sandy walked over to him and took a seat in the two chairs across from him. Without looking at them, he held up a finger. Two minutes of silence later, Sans put the phone away and sat up from the laid-back position he had when they arrived.

 

“hey, sorry about that. had to finalize some details for a shipment.”

 

“Oh, not to worry.” Ned replied, though his face said otherwise. “You do that yourself?” Ned was known to be a man who did…very little. Most of his employees were overworked and underpaid. Sans wanted to slap his fat face for that alone. _Patience…_

 

“yes, while i have employees who handle a lot of the paperwork, i take it upon myself to finalize all shipments, deals, and approvals before they are sent off. it’s my company, so it’s my responsibility to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that everything is correct. while i do have a lot of employees to do final checks, i will always be the last to go over it, just in case they miss something. nobody’s perfect.” Whether or not Ned realized that was a jab at him, Sans didn’t care. He just smiled, albeit a bit smugly.

 

Ned hummed. “That’s interesting.” Sans could see it in his Soul. If employees who looked over the final reports made even the tiniest mistakes, they were fired or worse. Ned lost or got rid of as many employees as he hired. He treated people like machines. If they weren’t perfect, he would kick it to make it work. Sans wondered how he would feel if he were kicked. _No, no, it’s not worth it._

 

“So, what was that shipment for?” Oh, right. Ned was nosey, too.

 

“a business deal.” There were a lot of those. Gier himself had even gotten some products from Gaster Industries. That was the worst mistake of Sans’ life. But he had fixed it by putting a bug in the machine. After all, he knew that some of his business partners would abuse the partnership because of their racism, so each product he gave to other companies could be bugged. Not even a week had passed before that bug was unleashed.

 

Gier hadn’t said a word about it, and the spy had said he overlooked it in favor of keeping the partnership. Sans was counting on that, since his company had been around for only two years by then and was far more influential than The Gier Company, which had been around for over two decades. However, the spy had also reported that Gier had been especially horrible to his employees that week.

 

“why do you want to know?” Sans added coolly.

 

Ned froze. “No reason.” _Just trying to find a weakness._ If that wasn’t what was going through the man’s fat yet empty head, Sans would be very surprised.

 

The skeleton hummed and then turned to the fake-blond. He studied her makeup-caked face, false highlights, forced waves, and over-the-top designer dress with high heels. Sandy was reportedly around five-feet six-inches tall, so the heels would put her about level with the skeleton’s sockets.

 

“you must be sandy.” He finally said.

  
“Yes!” _Oh, **shit**! _ That voice…nails on a chalkboard doesn’t even come close to how horrible that was. Even Gaster’s strange screechy speech patterns in the void were more pleasant to the ears, and that was saying something. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Sans hoped his face didn’t betray his disgust. His mouth was a thin line that were forcefully perked up at the ends and he knew his eye-lights stuttered briefly. But other than that, he should have showed no signs of how he really felt. Later, Sans would be even more thankful that Patience was his dominant trait; he would learn to get used to that terrible sound with time.

 

Ned had a grumbling voice. It wasn’t awful per say, but it wasn’t _attractive_ either. There was nothing pleasant about it. It was like a rumble or vibration of words, except that it made perfect sense despite the added affect. Sandy’s voice was…well, if you didn’t cringe even a little, then you had balls of steel.

 

Looking in his peripheral, Sans saw the receptionist sitting straight as a board, her shoulder tense. Ned and Sandy were only after Sans, so it wasn’t fair to the employees of Gaster Industries to suffer with him.

 

“why don’t we talk outside? i don’t want to distract my employees from their work since it isn’t break time.”

 

“I don’t like going outside in this heat. The _stuff_ in the air will ruin my perfect hair.” _Stars, she’s a chatterbox, too._

 

“How about we take a tour of the facilities here?” Ned recommended. His intentions were so clear they were more than transparent.

 

“hmm, that is an idea. however, only employees are allowed beyond this lobby. and since it is a work day for some of my employees, we will be avoiding areas where they are working. that means we will be heading over to the media building.”

 

“Why can’t we stay here?” Sandy whined.

 

_Fuck no._ Sans may have a lot of patience, but he is **not** a pushover.

 

“miss gier.” He began. “if you cannot respect the rules of my business, then we are done for the day.” He took a sip from the thermos. “my employees work very hard, so the least we can do is respect their need for quiet and no distractions. i can take you on a tour of the other buildings or we can go to lunch like you requested in your invitation. however, this facility is off limits to the public, especially when it is a work day for over twenty of my employees.”

 

“Why can’t you just clear them out?” Ned asked.

 

“because that is disrespectful.” Sans replied warningly, a warning in his eye-lights as they flickered dangerously. “you can run your business how you wish, but i must demand respect and that you follow my rules when in mine. is that clear?”

 

Ned was visibly shaken. “Understood.” He turned to his daughter. “How about you go to lunch?” Sandy pouted, but conceded soon after and nodded silently.

 

“very good. mister gier, we will take our leave. i will return her to your company’s front lobby when our time is up.”

 

Ned frowned but nodded and made his way to the exit without so much as a goodbye. When he was out the door, Sandy immediately latched onto Sans arms, eliciting a full-body shivers of disgust. Even with his hoodie acting as a wall, Sans could feel the blonde’s fake breasts enveloping his humerus.

 

_BREATHE! STAY CALM! DO NOT PANIC! OH STARS! GET HER OFF!_

 

“excuse me. release my arm immediately.” He demanded, his voice disjointed and trembling.

 

“What? Why?” She whined.

 

“stop. we just met. don’t cling to me like that. it’s uncomfortable.” _Let go before I accidentally kill you._

 

“But I thought you realized…”

 

“what?” _Please don’t say anything stupid, annoying, or…_

 

“That this date means we’re a couple.” _Or **that**._

 

“i did not agree to this.” As he spoke, he removed himself skillfully from her hold. “this lunch is to get to know each other better only. do not assume anything **more**. you invited me to lunch. you did not ask me to date you. if you had, i would have declined. i am not interested in dating or being in a relationship with anyone.” He chuckled. “the media is still trying to decide if i’m aromantic, asexual, both, or neither.”

 

“What’s aromantic and asexual?”

 

Having walked off, Sandy followed and didn’t noticed when they have taken a shortcut to their lunch destination. Sans looked down at her, trying to understand if she was serious. She was, and that was the problem.

 

“oh boy.” She’s either very stupid or her parents sheltered her so much that they kept her away from people who weren’t part of the norms that narrow-minded humans had built up. “aromantic is when you aren’t interested in romance at all. asexual is the same, except you are interested in having sex at all. there’s also agender, which is someone who doesn’t fit in the male or female category, so they prefer to be neither and will go by pronouns like they, them instead of him or her. there’s a lot more to all of this, but what i have just explained is the basics.”

 

“That doesn’t make sense.” _Damnit, brat. It does if you aren’t an asshole._ “Everyone should be interested in romance and sex. And people are only male or female. There’s nothing else.”

 

“sandy.” Shut up. “not everything is black and white.”

 

“What?” _Oh, for fuck’s sake! Don’t you know metaphors?! Did you even go to school?!_

 

“what i mean is that not everyone fits into a simple category. there’s billions of people out there. and there are hundreds of monsters, too. there are people who were born into a gender that they don’t feel they belong in. then there’s people who don’t like being labeled as either gender. not everything is so simple, or as i phrased it, black and white. people’s feelings on the matter count.”

 

“That’s stupid. People should just shut up and stop trying to be something they are not.” _That’s enough!_

 

Sans turned to her, his rage clear. “you know you are being incredibly selfish. if you don’t agree, then don’t say anything. we can talk about something else. but if you can’t be respectful, then i will leave you here and you can walk home for all i care.”

 

“What?” She looked around, finally noticing they weren’t at the Gaster Industries Headquarters anymore. _What an airhead? Maybe she **is** just stupid. _ “This isn’t the Collette Café.”

 

“yes, i know. i can’t take you there because it’s illegal for me to cross boarders and states with my magic. i need to do it the legal, human way. so, we are at a local place called café amour.”

 

“You didn’t have to **tell** anyone about crossing boarders or whatever!” She screamed, causing a scene.

 

“if i were human and wasn’t well-known, that might work. but i also believe in following the rules. they exist for a reason. i got a reservation and they have the same style of food, so–”

 

“No! I want Collette Café! Now!”

 

Sans stood there, watching the childish twenty-six-year-old woman throw a fit in the middle of a restaurant. He didn’t speak, didn’t stop her, didn’t take his gaze off her, and didn’t interrupt her. The patrons were appalled at the display and he could feel their sympathetic intent. He **definitely** appreciated it.

 

Throughout her tantrum, he was a statue. His skull was a mask of neutrality and he just stood there with his hands in his coat pockets. When she was all burned out, her face and makeup a mess, he shifted his weight and broke his stillness.

 

“are you done acting like a spoiled brat?” He asked calmly. “you have an audience because of your temper tantrum. what do you think these poor people might be thinking at such a horrific display?”

 

“They don’t fucking matter!” She screamed, her voice hoarse. “They are peasants! I am better than anyone else, so it doesn’t matter what I do! You should have done what I wanted from the start! Stupid monster!”

 

Sans didn’t flinch at the obvious display of racism. His expression didn’t change either. They were still in the positions of adult and child. Sans didn’t have to bait her, but it was not in his nature to let things like this slide. By keeping his voice in a soft monotone, he hoped he could calm her down. But the likelihood of that seemed slim, so he didn’t care if he antagonized her a little.

 

Clearly, she was only here with him because of her father’s orders. And with Chase Industries in his corner with Warner and Madison, he didn’t need the alliance with Gier. So, he didn’t need to be a good person for this insufferable brat. But he did need to play his cards right in the public’s eyes or risk his image being ruined.

 

“we are here because you wanted to get to know me. i’m sure it was on your father’s orders, but you were the one who made the choice to follow his wishes. i will also treat you like a child if you act like one.

 

“with that being said, i must explain the following: i’m a person with my own views, beliefs, desires, and so on. and so, i will not condone behavior or language that is disrespectful. if i act immaturely or make rash choices, i understand if people look down on me. it makes sense because i would have earned it.

 

“i have my own views on what is good and bad. if you disagree with me, that is fine. it is bound to happen. but if you do so, you must remain polite in your disagreement. treating me like my opinions are invalid because they are different than yours is rude and selfish, especially if you do so by throwing a temper tantrum. as the saying goes, ‘if you don’t have something nice, don’t say anything at all’.”

 

“You–” He pinched her lips, effectively silencing her.

 

“i have tolerated your immature behavior for much longer than anyone should have to. i have not raised my voice once. however, i will call off this arrangement and bring you back to your father right now if you cannot act your age. that means behaving like a respectable and respect **ful** adult. if you are unsure what a respectable adult looks like, i would be willing to help you. but you need to want it and ask for it nicely, without screaming at me or using profanities. if you refuse, that’s fine. but if you continue this behavior, i will leave with your father. it is as simple as that.”

 

Sans wasn’t a fan of talking properly – he was a laid-back guy who liked to contractions and bits of common slang because it felt better. But with a girl from _somewhat_ high-class society, he hoped she would see it as someone respecting her. It was a bit of psychological manipulation, but if it would get her to stop misbehaving, he would do it.

 

“How dare you?” At least she said it quietly.

 

“excuse me?” He heard her. This was her last chance.

 

“You can’t talk to **me** like that! I’m–” Stepping behind her, he pinched a nerve and rendered her unconscious. He held her steady, refusing to touch her any more than strictly necessary to keep her from falling on her face.

 

“just a little magic to calm you down.” He mumbled loud enough for the patrons and staff of the little café to hear. If they knew he had training in human martial arts, it might mean trouble for him later.

 

He regarded the patrons and staff. “i am immensely sorry for disturbing you. i can give each of you free passes to one of my comedy routines as an apology for…this.” He had counted how many patrons there were and asked the host how many staff there were total. Moments later, the same number of free passes materialized in his hands. “i keep extra passes just in case.”

 

The patrons and staff were overjoyed and thankful for the gesture. “Thank you for this.” The host said softly. “It’s incredibly kind. I can’t believe she acted that way. Thank goodness for magic.” _Well, at least one thing went right._

 

“i only did this because she’s the daughter of my business partner. i knew she would be a handful the moment i met her today. i’m sorry if her behavior caused any distress.”

 

Before she could speak, the sound of a child crying grew louder. As a mother stepped forward, Sans could see her glare at the unconscious blonde brat as she made her way towards the exit. Sans held his hand up in front of her as a signal to wait. She stopped, watching him cautiously. Putting Sandy into a position on the ground where she wouldn’t fall over and hurt herself, he stepped up to the child, who couldn’t be more than three or four.

 

“hey there, kiddo. wanna see a trick?” He asked softly, a playfulness in his voice.

 

The boy settled down a bit, watching fearfully. Sans held out his hands, made some gestures and then pretended he was tossing something into the air. Sure enough, a slew of butterflies and birds made of blue and yellow wisps of light spewed into the air above everyone. The child began to laugh as tried to grab the flying wisps as they flew around the café.

 

Sans directed the magic everywhere until the café was full of laughs, cheers, and smiles. The last of the wisps, a butterfly, landed on the child’s nose before dissipating.

 

“i hope you feel better, kiddo. because someone really cares about you.” He patted the giggling child’s head as his mother relaxed and thanked him. She returned to her seat soon after.

 

Turning back to Sandy, he realized she was awake. She eyes him with wonder as he helped her stand.

 

“we’re leaving. i hope you learned something from this.” She nodded, not speaking. “good.”

 

Ned was flabbergasted at the mess that was his daughter as they returned not even ten minutes after he last saw them. Sans didn’t stick around long enough to explain. However, he felt a small tug on his Soul the moment before he left. He hummed, stepping back into the main headquarters of Gaster Industries.

 

“Sans, you’re back!” The receptionist, Honey, greeted. “Oh! Thank you so much for being considerate, sir.”

 

“no sirs. and don’t worry. ugh…it was a disaster. she is a spoiled brat who will throw a temper tantrum in public if she doesn’t get what she wants. we ended up not eating.”

 

Honey sunk into her chair. “I’m so sorry.”

 

Sans chuckled. “don’t be. hey, would you mind getting everyone on shift’s order and calling into joan and smith’s deli. i want to treat everyone today. i’ll have a number four with extra ketchup. oh, and it’s on me.”

 

She smiled gratefully. “Of course! Thank you!”

 

Sans grinned. “i’m the boss. so, i’ll run my company my way. and i’m feeling very giving right now.”

 

Despite how the day began, it ended with laughs, good food, and relaxing with good people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Have an idea for a one-shot? Canon or not? Comment and I might just do it if it works!**
> 
> Not all the one-shots are canon. There are alternate timelines, so if you have an idea of how something happens (like how Sans and Reader meet again) that's different, don't hesitate to comment! :)


	7. WANNA GET STUFF FROM ME? HERE'S HOW!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not a chapter. It is an event. Please read carefully. Thank you.
> 
>  
> 
> Basically art-fic trades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My internet is crap and I had to rewrite this because I clicked the tab closed. DX

Hey guys!

I have an event for you. It's like a trade. You write, I draw (or write, but it won't be long/good if I lack the motivation, so art is a better trade). But what you give is what you get. 

 

So this [Sans (Full Body) Ref](https://www.deviantart.com/rtnightmare/art/GI-Sans-Full-Body-757547632) is for well thought out, nice fan fictions while this [Horror Sans Sketch](https://sta.sh/0oob7ii26nx) is for quick, simple, I-might-be-a-beginner-at-fics-or-I-might-be-busy-but-I-want-to-partake-or-I-might-not-be-trying-very-hard fics. Mind you, if it's the latter, it is OKAY. As long as you don't butcher it, I am fine with that.

* * *

* * *

**ART TRADE: MORE LIKELY TO GET BETTER RESULTS**

 

Let's have a rating scale to put this into perspective: 1 being low quality, 10 being high quality.

**Rate 1:**

  

**Rate 2:**

   

**Rate 3:**

(Fast/10-20 minutes with color) | (Grayscale) | (Fast and fun)

  

**Rate 4:**

(Extra nice line work) | (Still nice, but not as nice line work - **Rate 4-5** )

   

**Rate 5:**

  

**Rate 6:**

****

**Rate 7:**

 

 

**Rate 8:**

(This was done yesterday, August 2)  | (Did this on Tuesday, July 31 - for a contest prize, the contest ended roughly a week before, so that's how long it takes me)

   

 

**Rate 9:**

(Shading is a little off which is why this isn't a 10) | 

  

**Rate 10:**

  

 

* * *

 

 

** WRITING TRADE **

This will always have a longer turn out time. I will match your word length as close as possible and try to match your rate. However, with writing, my motivation is a lot harder to keep under control. Writing often takes longer for me than art, which is why an art for writing trade is better and easier than a writing for writing trade.

1000 words earns 1000 words...

Good grammar, spelling, extensive vocabulary, and great storytelling earns what I believe is the same back...

Because of this, art for writing is a safer bet. But if you are willing to take that chance, be my guest.

 

* * *

* * *

 

**WITH ALL THAT SAID AND DONE, WHAT IS THIS FOR?**

 

**What will you be writing?**

This is on my Under the Spotlight Side Stories fic, **so what you will be writing is fics for the AU of Gaster Industries**. All the current information for my AU is at [Everything About: The Gaster Industries AU](https://www.deviantart.com/rtnightmare/art/Everything-About-The-Gaster-Industries-AU-744630645) on DeviantArt. Option 9 (first image on the left) is of the ref for [Sans Aster](https://www.deviantart.com/rtnightmare/art/GI-Sans-Full-Body-757547632) from the story [Under the Spotlight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13460709/chapters/30857538). A [full profile](https://www.deviantart.com/rtnightmare/art/Gaster-Industries-AU-Sans-757545978) is available, too. (This is not the same as [Being Sassy Under the Spotlight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14866134/chapters/34420257), which is Rachel from [CounterTale](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10745130) going to one of the Gaster Industries AU timelines.

Basically,  **I wanna see what other writers can do with my AU.**

 

**Can I write in my native language (for non-English speakers)?**

Yes, but you will need to translate it or I will not make the trade. I only know English, so if I am unable to read it without using Google Translate, then I'm sorry but that's is such a hassle. If you want to try to translate it using Google, another website, or a friend, and ask for a second opinion from me, I don't mind that. As long as it's not translated so poorly that I either can't understand OR I have to decipher it with difficulty. 

 

**What can you do to ensure a 'fast delivery'?**

One thing you can do is tell me which rate you are aiming for. If you are unsure of your skill, you can send me work you have already written. Grammar and spelling do not have to be perfect, but the work should not be riddled with them. If English is not your first language, that's okay. But if your writing is so bad because of this that I can't understand what you are trying to convey, then that is a problem. Also, because this is my opinion, if I think your rate is lower or higher, please respect that.

Another thing you can do, if your rate isn't an issue, is tell me what you are preparing to do, what rate you are aiming for, and I can meet you halfway. Once you have completed the work and posted it, I will also post my part. If there is a miscommunication, we will work together to fix it. I don't want to give you a lower rate than you deserve.

 

**What do I like specifically?**

I love romance. I love fluff. I love sass and teasing. I love smut. I love people being badass. I like karmic retribution/revenge (good guys getting revenge on bad guys, not the other way around). I love drama as long as it ends well. Basically, anything that will make me smile by the end.

 

**What I will never read!**

I hate angst; minor angst like small bits of drama are fine. I don't tolerate major character deaths (minor ones or villains are fine, but I hate good guys dying). The same goes for heavy violence and gore, heavy abuse, rape, and other depressing things. I also despise cliffhangers. You leave something on a cliffhanger in my AU, I'mma be pissed. If you kill off Sans, the Reader/Rachel, the GI staff, monsters, etc...I'm gonna be pissed. You don't get any art for that.

 

**What if you make a multiple-chapter story?**

Well then, you get a drawing for every chapter, then. Obviously. That's the trade, silly.

 

**What if I don't give you the rate you think you deserve?**

For that, you can ask for other opinions. I will do the same. They have to be honest opinions, though. So ask teachers and whatnot, whoever is honest. If more agree with you than me, I will redo the whole thing. That is a promise. 

 

**I have additional questions. What do I do?**

Comment below. I will answer them here. And add them here, too. So please don't be shy.

**Author's Note:**

> DeviantArt:https://rtnightmare.deviantart.com/  
> Tumblr: http://rtnightmare.tumblr.com/


End file.
